The Things I Find In and Around Dumpsters

Okay, so I haven't seen many dumpsters in residential areas lately. We've lived off post the last...I would say....six years, so maybe I've forgotten. But you won't believe what I've found sitting in and around our dumpster the last few months.

Granted, I see trashbags that somehow missed the dumpster. Actually, we have two side-by-side and a big wooden fence around the area, along with our big recycling bins...we are in Germany, which is recycling heaven. Anyway, at any give time, usually closer to trash pick-up time, I'd see one dumpster, filled to the gills and overflowing...and the other...almost empty. I FINALLY figured it out, and it took me almost a month. People were winging their bags over the fence and hoping it would hit the dumpster. Since they couldn't see...they didn't care...or so it seems. I also see they didn't care about other things from the perfectly good things I would find around there. It's not like we don't have a thrift shop around here...we also have the German Red Cross store and a few other places items can be dropped off..maybe that's the key...dropped off...too much effort.

I've seen

• a very nice leather recliner that still worked (I tried it out). I was really hoping though, as I sat in it, that their dog or cat didn't just pee all over it.
• An antique wooden table that was very stable and very useable....but okay, it was a bit butt ugly if you don't like that heavy stuff.
  
• A fairly new Pottery Barn Amoire in a beautiful whitewashed color with only a scratch on the back of it.
• Nice wood picture frames.
• A newer toddler's toy, like a plastic table with all these gadgets, whirlys and things that make noise and light up....and it was still working and looked to be in excellent condition.
  
• Numerous dining and kitchen chairs that looked sturdy.
• A nice wooden baby changing table.
• A diaper bin...okay, I'd throw that away too.
• An iron wine rack.
• Bin of four cubbyholes in colorful primary colors.
• A perfectly good men's mountain bike...it just needed new tires.
• Four weather-beaten wire egg baskets...guess they gave up the collection?
  

And those are just the things that came to mind. I did drag a few of the items into our storage room in the basement. Our FRG is going to be participating in a community flea market next weekend. We actually made $200 the last time with very little effort. Next time, we hope to work our way into the food arena. There's some kind of German charity organization that was invited in to do a fish fry...what do Germans know about fish frys?!

What kinds of things do you find in and around your local trash?